Self-storing storm doors



March 1963. D. J. YO USSI ETAL SELF-STORING STORM DOORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22, 1965 Fig.

INVENTORS DALE J. YOUSSI B EUZENE L.

BRAND ATTORNEYS 1968 0. J. Youssi ETAL 3,374,822-

I SELF-STORING STORM DOORS Filed March 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 5

INVENTORS DALE J. YOUSSI GENE7l ..{BRAN/DM' ATTO RN EYS United States Patent 3,374,822 SELF-STORING STORM DOORS Dale J. Youssi, Dover, and Eugene L. Brand, Clinton,

Ohio, assignors to Alsco, Inc., Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 441,497 3 Claims. (Cl. 16091) This invention relates to self-storing storm doors and, more particularly, to a storm door construction which provides a track for a window sash unit that would normally be interchanged with a removable screen unit by removing such units from the door.

Conventional storm doors comprise a mounting frame having a pair of sash units which are removably mounted therein. At least one of the sash units may be removed so that the door has a sash pair comprising a window unit and a screen unit in the summer and two window units in the winter. The sash pairs are separated in the door frame by a horizontal supporting sill and are retained in the door frame by clips which are secured to the frame but which may be removed in order to change the sash.

Although multiple track, self-storing type storm windows are widely used, manufacturers of storm doors have not provided such multiple tracks on the door frame since the provision of such tracks would require separate extrusion dies for the side frame members on the one hand and the top and bottom frame members on the other hand. Furthermore, the cost of fabrication, tooling, and labor is increased if frame members having different cross sectional areas are joined at their ends. The extrusion of side frame members with tracks requires more metal than is required in the conventional door frame, thereby increasing the weight and cost of the door.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a track for a storm door that will permit the storage of the extra sash unit in the door, and which will replace the conventional screw clips and serve as a means to retain the remaining sash units in the door frame.

It is a further object of this invention to permit the same inventory of door frames to be used both for selfstoring type storm doors and for nonself-storing or conventional storm doors.

It is another object of the invention to provide a selfstoring type storm door that may use the same extrusion sections for both the side frame members and the transverse frame members.

Another object is to provide a self-storing type storm door which avoids the cost of the excess useless metal represented by those portions of track-shaped side frame members that extend beyond the lights of the door and down along the kick plate.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide side tracks for a storm door which permit the elimination of the conventional horizontal supporting still between sashes.

' These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a storm door and its door jambs, as viewed from the inside of the door;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross sectional view with portions broken away for clarity, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross sectional view, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, exploded, perspective view of a portion of the storm door illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view of a portion of the door illustrated in FIG. 1, with portions broken away for clarity.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, a storm door 10 is illustrated. The storm door 10 includes side frame members 11 and 12 and top and bottom frame members 13 and 14, respectively. The frame members 11-14 may be aluminum extrusions and may have identical cross sections. For a given strength, each has substantially less weight than would frame members formed with multiple tracks.

A Z-bar unit comprising side Z-bars 15 and 16 and a head Z-bar 17 are respectively associated with the frame members 1114. The frame member 12 is hinged to the side Z-bar 15 by hinges 18. Each Z-bar 15-17 comprises a first face flange or leg 19 which is screwed to the outer face of a wood door frame (not shown) by screws 20. The Z-bars 15-17 also include a second leg 21 which extends substantially perpendicular to the leg 19 and lies against an inside surface of the dor jamb or lintel. A stop flange 22 is provided at one end of each leg 21 and each stop flange 22 retains a weather seal strip 23.

The frame members 1114 may be mitered together at their ends to provide a frame unit. Each frame member 1114 comprises a hollow section having an inner edge 24. The inner edge 24 is provided with a step which comprises a face 25 and a recessed edge 26. Inner and outer grooves 27 and 28, respectively, are provided along the sides of the recessed edge 26. A kick plate 29 is mounted at the bottom of the door 10 and its side and bottom edges are retained in the inner grooves 27 of the side frame members 11 and 12 and the bottom frame member 14. The top edge of the kick plate 29 is held by a sill 30 which extends between the side frame members -11 and 12.

The sill 30 has an inner channel 31 formed by flanges 32 and 33. The flange 33 rests against the face 25 and the channel 31 corresponds in width to the width of the recessed edge 26. A screen sash unit 34, which comprises upper and lower frame members 35 and 36, respectively, and side frame members 37, is mounted in the door 10 so that its bottom frame member 36 rests in the channel 31 and so that its side frame members 37 are engaged by the recessed edges 26. A window sash unit 38, which comprises upper and lower frame members 39 and 40, respectively, and side frame members 41, is mounted in the door 10 so that its lower frame member 40 rests on the upper frame member 35 of the sash unit 34 and so that its side frame members 41 are engaged by the recessed edges 26.

The side frame members 37 and 41 of the units 34 and 38, respectively, are retained against the faces 25 by a pair of channel tracks 42. The channel tracks 42 each comprise a channel 43 which is defined by a web 44 and projecting first and second flanges 45 and 46, respectively. The flange 45 has a guide bead 47 which is opposite an edge 48 of the flange 46, and the flange 45 extends beyond the edge 48 to define a bearing or guide surface 49. A flange 50 projects outwardly from the web 44 and has a recess 51 which cooper-ates with a head 52 on the frame members 11 and 12. The flange 50 of each track 42 is fixed to the frame members -11 and 12 by self-tapping screws 53.

As may be seen most clearly in FIG. 2, the tracks 42 are installed so that their flanges 45 press the side frame members 37 and 41 against the faces 25 to securely retain the sash units 34 and 38 relative to the door 10.

A sliding sash window unit 54 is mounted in the tracks 42 and is retained therein by tilt lugs 55 (FIG. 2) which project from each upper corner of the unit 54 into the channel 43.

Conventional latch bolts 56 (FIG. 1) are provided at each lower corner of the sash unit 54 and each latch bolt 1 struck out of a longitudinal projection 58 on each flange 46. The sash unit 54 may be raised by pullingthe latch bolts 56 inwardly against the bias of springs (not shown). The sash unit 54 is retained in the tracks 42 by its tilt lugs 55 and slides along the face 49.-The sash unit 54 may be retained in a preselected, elevated position by releasing the latch bolts 56 so that they engage a detent 57. The sill 30 is provided with an outer channel 59 which is defined by the flange 32 and a flange 60, and which receives the sash unit 54 in its lowered or window closed position.

The invention is not restricted to the slavish imitation of each and every one of the details described above, which have been set forth merely by way of example with the intent of most clearly setting forth the teaching of the invention. Obviously, devices may be provided which change, eliminate, or add certain specific details without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a storm door having a frame, a pair of sash units mounted in the frame, the improvement comprising means for retaining the pair of sash units in the frame, said retaining means including means defining a track, a third sash unit received by said track, means including means movable relative to said third sash unit and carried thereby engage-able with said track for guiding said third sash unit between raised and lowered positions, said engageable means also being disengageable from said track to permit said third sash unit to be removed from the track While said track is mounted on the frame.'

2. In combination with a storm door having a frame, a pair of sash units mounted in the frame, the improvement comprising means for retaining the pair of sash units in the frame, said retaining means having a pair of spaced flanges defining a track, a third sash unit received by said track, means including means movable relative to said third sash unit and carried thereby engageable with said track for guiding said third sash unit between raised 5 and lowered positions, said engageable means also being disengageable from said track to permit said third sash unit to be removed from the track while said track is mounted on the frame.

3. In combination with a storm door having a frame, a pair of sash units mounted in the frame, the improvement comprising means for retaining the pair of sash units in the frame, said retaining'means having a pair of spaced flanges defining a track, a third sash unit received by said track, means including means movable relative to said third sash unit and carried thereby engageable with said track for guiding said third sash unit between raised and lowered positions, said engageable means also being disengageable from said track to permit said third sash unit to be removed from the track while said track is mounted on the frame, receiving a third sash unit for guiding said third sash, one of said flanges extending along the edges of said pair of sash units to retain said units in the door frame.

References Cited DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

PETER M. CAUN, REINALDO P. MACHADO,

Examiners.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,374,822 March 26 1968 Dale J. Youssi et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4 lines 20 and 21 cancel "recei 0 V sash unit for guiding said third sash" 11g a third Signed and sealed this 5th day of August 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A STORM DOOR HAVING A FRAME, A PAIR OF SASH UNIT MOUNTED IN THE FRAME, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING MEANS FOR RETAINING THE PAIR OF SASH UNITS IN THE FRAME, SAID RETAINING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING A TRACK, A THIRD SASH UNIT RECEIVED BY SAID TRACK, MEANS INCLUDING MEANS MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID THIRD SASH UNIT AND CARRIED THEREBY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID TRACK FOR GUIDING SAID THIRD SASH UNIT BETWEEN RAISED AND LOWERED POSITIONS, SAID ENGAGEABLE MEANS ALSO BEING DISENGAGEABLE FROM SAID TRACK TO PERMIT SAID THIRD SASH UNIT TO BE REMOVED FROM THE TRACK WHILE SAID TRACK IS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME. 